KR20130106785A - Graphical application system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A graphic application system is provided to help users to accurately apply a predefined spattering pattern to a target surface with a spattering device. CONSTITUTION: A graphic application system includes a surface spattering device(9), a spatial referencing unit(30), a computation means, and a communication means. The surface spattering device includes at least one nozzle means(1) for expelling a spattering material onto a target surface(3), a nozzle control device(4) to control characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle means, and a spattering material supply device(5). The spatial referencing unit references the spattering device in space to determine a position and orientation of the spattering device, particularly, for the target surface in a space. The computation means automatically controls the expelling by the nozzle control device according to information gained by the spatial referencing unit and according to predefined desired spattering data as a CAD-model or a digital image comprising a digital representation of a desired pattern to be spattered onto the target surface. The communication means establishes a communication link from the spatial referencing unit to the computation means to supply the position and orientation to the computation means.

Description

Graphical application system

The invention generally relates to a graphics application system according to claim 1, a graphics application method according to claim 13 and a computer program product.

The need for applying a layer of sputtering material over a target surface has spread across many different technical fields. There are various reasons for applying sputtering materials to surfaces, the most common being to protect the surface from environmental influences or to apply specific, often multicolored graphic patterns on aesthetic requirements such as on the surface or on specific areas of the surface. It is the wind. Sputtering as a process involves painting, coating, plating, inking, cladding, varnishing, spraying, sprinkling, texturing, overcoating, coloring, It may be or may include staining or staining with the ejection material to be applied to the target surface from the nozzle means.

Technical areas where such painting, spattering, inking, dyeing or coating are desired include, for example, construction work, advertising, amusement, camouflaging, machine building. buildings, road markings, playground markings, indoor and outdoor wall claddings, automobile manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, and the like. In addition, repair of worn-out, damaged, destroyed, partially replaced, already-at least partially-sputtered surfaces is often required, where special care is required for high color matching and also for older sputtering. It should be taken to achieve smooth and optically uniform transitions from to new sputtering.

The most common types of sputtering are paint-sprays and powder coatings by airbrushes or painting guns, but for example boat construction, sprayed mineral wool, sprayed or gunned concrete, There are many other different types of spattering, such as sprayed asbestos, undercarriage known from automobiles or sprayed plaster known from other spattering operations. In addition, sandblasting is a very similar technical field in which, instead of covering the surface by the sputtering material, the surface is corroded by the ejected jet of the corrosive material on principles similar to those used for sputtering. to be.

Document FR 2 850 322 discloses an apparatus for printing an image on a large surface which can be manually maintained and moved and which can determine its position and orientation on the surface. The device uses this knowledge of its current position to determine which color needs to be applied on the surface. This determination is accomplished by matching the determined coordinates and the image stored in the device's memory. The stored image can then be superimposed to the painted surface.

In US 6,299,934, a GPS controlled paint spray system includes a paint sprayer driver program and a GPS paint sprayer. The GPS paint sprayer is a GPS receiver, a geographical converter that allows the user to convert a drawing pattern into geographic locations, and a location match between the geographic locations of the drawing pattern and the current GPS-based location. A position comparator for detecting, and a spray nozzle for spraying paint at the matched positions. The geographic drawing pattern may be marked on a field, wall, or parking lot.

US 2009/0022879 relates to a method for applying paints or varnishes to large surfaces by a displaceable, paint application device controlled in a position-dependent manner. The apparatus includes a displaceable portion of a real time positioning system using reference marks.

KR 102006009588 provides a method for controlling the injection position of a painting articulated robot to automatically operate the arm positions of the articulated robot by a remote control to accurately inject the painting material into the object.

In the automotive industry, for example, the use of painting robots on paint sheet metal or body parts is a common technical state. Robots for fulfilling these tasks are programmed or taught for that purpose by skilled craftsmen.

In JP 10-264060, a system is provided for carrying out painting by holding a painting machine in a right angle position and posture to carry out the teaching of the movements on the robot arm, regardless of the operator's skill. The advancing path of the painting machine is calculated by the image processor and the position and attitude of the painting machine is calculated by the distance / posture calculator, based on the output signals of the image sensors and distance sensors mounted together at each tip of the robot arm. . In the controller, the control parameters of each axis of the robot arm are output to the drive device, and the control parameters of each axis of the robot arm moved by the drive device are stored in this sequence in the storage device, while the feedback control is applied to the painting machine with a predetermined value. And maintain the distance of the painting surface, face the painting machine to the painting surface, and move the painting machine along the forward path.

JP 2006-320825 describes an autocoated vehicle for painting, such as an airplane, wherein the thickness of the paintwork-on the one hand keeps the weight of the applied paint on the one hand as low as possible to achieve sufficient protection of the surface. To do this-it must be fairly accurate. It includes control means for controlling the operation and movement of the arm with the actuator head and performing a painting process on the surface to be coated based on the coating area or range information stored in the memory means and the posture and position information of the arm. . The position of the vehicle and the head is determined using GPS and a range finder for measuring the distance between the head and the object.

Document DE 10 2008 015 258 relates to a painting robot for painting motor bodies by an atomizer (also known as a nebulizer) for a sputtering surface, guided by a painting robot. Applying multicolor paint is realized using a paint changer.

FR 2 785 230 relates to a ground log imprinting technique for graphical reproduction of drawings played on the ground. This technique tracks contours on the ground from a computer driven optical system. The tracked contour is then filled with jet paint pulverization. The ground logo engraving technology creates a ground print of a predefined advertising logo or drawing. The stencil formed by the computer integrated optical system is projected onto the ground and jet paint pulverization is applied to the ground surface.

In KR 100812725, a method for controlling the position and angle of a painting robot is to paint at the same spray distance and forward velocity of the spray target point within the same spraying distance and orthogonal painting area by controlling the spray gun with the proper rotational angular velocity, approach speed and separation speed. Provided to run them. The purpose is to generate a uniform spray on the surface.

US 5,935,657 discloses a plurality of nozzle paint spray systems with two separate banks of spray nozzles. Both banks are supplied by paint from an airless pressurized source, each individual bank having a shut-off valve to stop the flow of pressurized paint to said respective bank. The entire assembly is mounted on a roller stand having a pair of arms extending laterally outward. In use, the painter simply activates the paint spray and pushes the device along the wall. The side arms hold the spray nozzles at a fixed distance from the wall, and the coat of paint can be applied to the wall uniformly and quickly.

US 2008/0152807, US 2011/0199431, US 7,350,890 and US 7,922,272 refer to methods and apparatuses for applying a large contoured surface, such as a graphical image accurately positioned on the body of an airplane. The apparatus used therein may comprise a rail positioning system to be mounted over a portion of the surface to which the graphical image is to be applied. The graphical image application system is controlled by software for operating the positioning system and the graphical image application system.

The basic principle used in these surface sputtering applications is to eject or eject a sputtering material such as paint from the nozzle means to the target surface. To achieve this, there is a large pressure in the nozzle or in front of the nozzle that causes the sputtering material to exit the nozzle, or the sputtering material is carried by a jet of gas or liquid exiting through or next to the nozzle. The most common examples for doing so are those known from painting guns or airbrushes and those known from ink-jet printing.

Techniques such as new ink-jet printers are available for paints with narrow spot sizes of less than 1 cm and even 10 cm. Such divergent emission techniques also allow for maskless spraying, real-time color mixing or color change over the area being painted or color fading from one color to another.

In cases where the painting tool is handheld or at least partially supported by guide rails, by weight compensation arms or the like, one challenge is the control of such a system in sputtering applications as described above.

Applying paint or powder to objects as target surfaces such as walls, industrial structures, bodies, large machine parts, airplanes, etc., can repair or replace damaged parts or only over specific areas. After painting, it is particularly difficult in cases where only parts of the surfaces have to be painted.

Painting an image available as a predefined pattern such as a logo or picture or CAD file, which should be applied to the surface, can be quite difficult. Using airbrushes requires experience and knowledge of the guidance of sputtering, painting or powdering tools, and handling of reliable positions and postures, and knowledge of paint viscosity, drying conditions and various other parameters during labor It requires skilled craftsmen.

In the case of repairing or adding paint to already painted surfaces, it can also be quite time consuming to discover the color type and type already present and its thickness prior to labor. In addition, purchasing or self-mixing matching colors requires a skilled worker, especially when doing it, in the workplace.

Non-flat (3D) surfaces include cables or pipes to be mounted to a target surface that needs to be sputtered, for example a target surface that needs to be sputtered, for example a surface to be avoided. Additional challenge and sudden interruptions of the plane-body, including walls to be painted or windows to which painting should be excluded.

In order to apply the sputtering material in accordance with the desired sputtering data, a spatial reference of the application-unit to the target surface must be established. In particular, for large scale targets, spatial reference of the sputtering unit over the entire target range is required to achieve this.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved graphic application system or surface sputtering system for graphic application over a target surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved surface sputtering system capable of sputtering a target according to the desired sputtering data by spatial reference of the sputtering device to the target surface.

Another object is to provide a surface sputtering system that meets sputtering tasks and assists the user in achieving desired sputtering results and features, particularly for large target areas.

It is a particular object of the present invention to assist the user in the precise application of a predefined sputtering pattern on the target surface by the sputtering device.

Another object of the present invention is to depend on the spatial reference of the system and the characteristics of the target surface, such as target-shape, current sputtering color, current sputtering thickness, current sputtering and unsputtered areas, temperature, etc. It is to provide a system comprising nozzle means capable of automatically adjusting the ejection features of the system.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a system which avoids the need for premixing of sputtering materials to the desired color or material features, and omits or reduces the exchange and cleaning process effort associated therewith.

Another special object of the present invention is to automatically adjust the ejection features of the sputtering device depending on the current sputtering task and the movement of the device relative to the target whose spatial position and setting is determined by a simple spatial reference unit.

A special object of the present invention is to achieve spatial reference by simple means that are easy to configure and operate.

These objects are achieved by realizing the features of the independent claims. Features which further develop the invention in an alternative or advantageous manner are described in the dependent patent claims.

There is provided a graphical application system having a movable surface sputtering device comprising at least one nozzle means for ejecting sputtering material onto a target surface. The ejection can be continuous, resulting in an uninterrupted stream of sputtering material, or pulsed by ejecting drops or small discrete portions of the material, whereby a high pulse In the case of a high pulses-repetition frequency, the pulsed-ejection may be interrupted as a quasi-continuous stream of sputtering material.

The sputtering apparatus comprises a nozzle control mechanism for controlling the ejection features of the nozzle means, ejection-direction, velocity, divergence, diffusion, shape and / or material ratio, pulse timing, pulse duration and pulse repetition. do. In order to provide the sputtering material to be discharged, the sputtering device comprises a sputtering material supply which can be connected to an internal or external material tank. The storage contains the desired sputtering data and can be implemented as a slot for fixedly installed memory means, memory cards, USB-sticks and the like and wired or wireless network storage. The desired sputtering data is contained in a digital image or CAD-model that is predefined and stored on storage.

The spatial reference unit is located outside of the spattering device and references the spattering device with respect to the target surface in at least five degrees of freedom by position and angle.

The calculation means automatically controls the ejection by the nozzle control mechanism in accordance with the information obtained by the spatial reference unit and in accordance with the desired sputtering data.

The calculation means may comprise the actual or predicted spattered area on the target surface, wherein the sputtering spot depends on the actual or predicted spatial reference of the sputtering device, the prediction of the nozzle means relative to the actual or target surface of the ejection features of the nozzle means. Configured in such a way that the actual or expected sputtering spot as a set, actual, measured, calculated or predicted distance and slope is evaluated and adjusted by changing the ejection characteristics of the nozzle means in such a way that the target surface is sputtered according to the desired sputtering data. do.

The ejection features of the exposure means depend on the spatial reference of the sputtering device, the ejection direction of the nozzle means and the measured distance from the nozzle means to the target surface in such a way as to achieve sputtering of the target surface according to the desired sputtering data. It is controlled according to the determined current sputterable area on the target surface.

The calculation means are configured in such a way as to control the nozzle means for preferably unmasked application of the sputtering material to the target surface in accordance with the desired sputtering data.

In addition to the ejection of the spattering material by the pressure used to direct the spattering material out of the nozzle means, there are other systems that "throwing" droplets of the spattering material, especially at very high repetition frequencies.

Other ejection systems are "sucking" out of the nozzle means by a bypassing jet of air or gas that creates a negative pressure and moves the spattering material in the direction of the target.

In particular, the present spatterable area is blown by the ejected sputtering material in the form of droplets, a stream of droplets or a continuous stream of material from the nozzle means towards the target surface in the current ejection direction and the current divergence direction of the stream as examples of ejection features. It can be defined as part of the target surface that can be made.

If the divergence of the jet of sputtered material jet is not equal to zero, the size of the current spatterable area on the target surface depends on this divergence and the distance between the nozzle means and the target surface considered. The shape of the current spatterable area on the target surface may also depend on the slope of the ejection direction with respect to the target surface.

In one embodiment, the spattering device is a handheld painting gun that automatically adjusts the ejection features of the nozzle (s) according to distance and / or inclination to the target surface to achieve a desired coating of the target surface by the sputtering material. Can be. The sputtering device may also comprise automatic positioning of the nozzle means relative to the body of the sputtering device in a particular area, for example embodied in the form of a 2D plotter device which allows for Cartesian positioning of the nozzle within the frame of the device. have.

Nevertheless, the body of the sputtering apparatus or the nozzle itself is still referenced to the target surface. This is especially true if the desired sputtering data is beyond the positioning range of the nozzle in the sputtering apparatus. In such cases, the sputtering device requires repositioning relative to the target surface to achieve accurate stitching of multiple portions of the desired sputtering pattern due to the repositioning of the apparatus. Therefore, the spatial reference of the sputtering device, in particular of its body, must be established by the spatial reference unit according to the invention. The reference of the nozzle to the target is, for example, by means of a first reference of the sputtering apparatus body to the target surface according to the invention and a second reference of the nozzle means to the apparatus body by a power positioning unit having a position sensor. A stepwise approach can be established. In another embodiment, the nozzle means itself, which is not the body of the sputtering apparatus, is directly referenced according to the invention, regardless of whether the nozzle is positionable within the sputtering apparatus or the entire sputtering with its nozzle (s) is movable. Can be.

In another embodiment, the sputtering process can be further observed by an imaging unit in the spattering device, aligned in the direction of the nozzle means, for example to confirm progress and compare it with the desired result. For example, monitoring of the full coverage of the desired area on the target surface can be achieved, and if necessary-the ejection feature can be adjusted in a way to achieve the desired sputtering results.

Examples of sputtering tasks include the company's logo, advertising graphics, or other text or graphic items on the target surface by manually moving the painting device over a wall, ground, ceiling, sheet metal, vehicle part, or other target object. The same is a spray of paint patterns. According to the invention, this can also be done not only outdoors but also indoors by means of a setup which also allows for easy handling and erecting at remote locations. In the case of rechargeable batteries and / or air tanks, it is also possible to use the sputtering device even if it is difficult to access or even in remote areas where the power source is quite difficult to establish.

In the basic version, the spattering device, or more specific computing device in the spattering device or in combination with the spattering device, determines whether to spray or spray the spattering material, such as paint, based on the spatial reference of the nozzle with respect to the target. do. Therefore, the spatial reference unit transmits and receives data including position and orientation information to the computing device. In determining whether to spray paint, the apparatus includes information of the desired sputtering data, such as whether the current area should be painted, left unpainted or already painted.

The sputtering apparatus or associated computing means may comprise data storage which is stored online while the history of the locations of the already sputtered regions is sputtered. The storage also includes desired sputtering data that is stored as a spatially dependent desired pattern to be applied to the target. The desired sputtering data thus means not only information about the flat, smooth and uniform covering of the target surface by a single sputtering material, such as in classic paint gun spraying of single colored automotive bodies, but also on the surface By sputtering, more comparable to the technique of airbrush painting for applying patterns, such as in color modeling, billboard painting, text or lettering applications.

The desired pattern to be applied to the target may be based on digital CAD such as the design of the pattern. If necessary, for example, in the case of curved target surfaces or all surrounding or objects around, specifying a place to start sputtering, specifying a place to stop is also a two-dimensional or three-dimensional model. It can be included in a digital design or model, which can be represented.

The control of the sputtering process, which depends on the ejection of the sputtering material, carried out by means called herein as a nozzle, has certain features such as ejection direction, divergence, pressure, speed, material ratio, etc., some of which are nozzle control. It can be fixed and variable controlled by the mechanism. In the simple case, this is on / off control, but there are many known advanced ways of influencing ejection, especially in the technical field of airbrushes, painting guns or ink-jet printing.

In order to achieve the desired sputtering results, knowledge of the type, type, color and / or viscosity and environment of the sputtering material and the environment, parameters affecting drying or curing of the sputtering material are described in detail below. It can be included in automatic control of features. Control of the sputtering process may also depend on information on the currently used sputtering material, which may include color, type, viscosity, and the like. This information can be entered manually or can be determined automatically.

According to the spatial reference, the painting color for areas that have already been applied or should not be applied is avoided, so that the device can store the areas already painted in a real time manner, for example the desired sputtering data over the display. This can be visualized by the actual progression of overlay and spattering of or can be projected directly onto the target.

The sputtering apparatus may comprise, for example, single or multiple nozzle means arranged in rows or spray bars. The nozzle control mechanism can adjust each single nozzle in a short reaction time. In other embodiments, nozzle features can also be adjusted for multiple nozzles by a single actuator. To reduce the impact of the reaction time still remaining, the control-algorithm for the nozzles may include prediction of the reaction time.

Particularly in the hand-guided embodiment of the sputtering apparatus, the high power and uncertainty of the guidance can be overcome or at least reduced by real-time correction of the ejection features such as painting pressure, jet width and direction. For example, the blowing direction can be adjusted by angular adjustments in the nozzle blowing direction, in particular by some mechanical microdrives or by adjusting the nozzle shape or injecting air from the sides. In addition, the shape of the discharged stream of material may be determined by a nozzle control mechanism, for example by hydrodynamic means such as injecting air from different sides to shape the jet of sputtering material into or into a desired profile, or It may be affected by mechanical means such as shaping and / or moving nozzles. Uncertainty and high power in hand guidance can be compensated at least in part by operating only a nozzle with a high bandwidth. This can be aided by, for example, IMU-measurement in a sputtering device that allows fast reaction times in high bandwidth and therefore compensating dynamic hand movements.

Controlling the power of the drive of the sputtering tool, in particular changes in the distance, angle and speed of the painting / powdering tool relative to the surface to be painted may be used as a basis for adapting the spraying power, pressure, jet width and direction of the nozzle. (If these features are variable in this special tool).

In the case of multiple nozzles, the coordinates, directions and / or distances for the target surface of each of the nozzles may be determined to individually adjust each nozzle feature. This may also be aided by additional sensors for bar type position and orientation.

Many nozzles or injection systems that act like enlarged inkjet printers can be expanded by some special colors such as black and white or spot colors such as gold, silver, transparent coatings, etc., such as RGB, CMYK, HSV, etc. Allows to apply colors by applying the same set of primary colors. The colors to be used for a particular task can be defined according to the desired range and the variability of the desired output colors.

There are sputtering material discharge systems available on the market that allow for spraying a spot of spattering material in a jetting direction having a spot diameter or size on the target of 1 cm or less from a distance to a target of 10 cm or more. The actual sizes of the spots can be adjusted by varying the target distance and adjusting the ejection-features of the nozzle releasing the sputtering material. This can be done, for example, by changing the blowing pressure, the amount of material ejected, the blowing speed, the geometry of the nozzle, and supporting an air-jet or the like, which affects the shape and divergence of the spot on the target.

Thus, even in the case of variable distances, which can be calculated or measured as described further below, it is possible to achieve the desired spot size on the target surface. These spots can be discharged at high repetition rates of hundreds of spots per second or more.

These new ejection systems may also have advantages regarding known mist-development and resulting health problems from air guns and environmental pollution that should not be sputtered. In addition, the need to protect the environment from unwanted escape of the sputtering material by coverage can be reduced or omitted, and for that reason time-consuming masking of target areas that should not be affected is avoided. Another aspect is the increased use of sputtering material resulting in reduced costs, environmental pollution and health problems.

Different colors may overlay the color spots on the target surface to achieve the desired color impression when viewed from a distance, for example, as known in the art of paper-printing, to achieve actual mixing of color-materials or different sizes next to each other. In order to achieve the desired color by aligning small spots of different colors in distributions or densities, they may be applied as spot clusters or adjacent dot-matrixes over each other, for example on a target surface, which may be a wall, ground, object or the like.

Such systems also allow for spraying without masking differently colored target sections. For certain predefined patterns (eg by digital image or CAD-drawing), the colors can be premixed and then loaded into a paint tank that stores the sputtering material. The multiple nozzles or injection system may have one or more nozzles, for example two for dual colors and three or more for multiple colors. It is possible to use a nozzle row for each color required for the current design, but it may not be necessary often because there are three or four colors (eg CMYK-cyan, magenta, Yellow plus black; or RGB-red, green, blue plus black; if applied to a white ground as known from inkjet printing) is sufficient to blend a wide range of colors.

When using pre-mixed colors that must cover the target surface evenly over a fairly large section of the target surface, a wide range on the target in one stroke as well as a small number of spots corresponding to the rows of nozzles emitting all the same colors Can be used to cover. Since the nozzles can be controlled individually, the overall blowing characteristics can be adjusted according to the target shape and the desired spray pattern, for example by deactivating certain nozzles or adjusting their discharge width / diffusion.

Further mixing of the solvent may also be done to achieve the desired viscosity of the sputtering material. In addition, the discharge of pure solvent can be used for cleaning purposes of the target surface of the sputtering apparatus or both. This can be done, for example, by one or more valves allowing the choice between sputtering material and / or solvent.

If a sputtering material is used which is curable by certain environmental influences such as ultraviolet radiation or heat, the sputtering device may be equipped with a source for this, for example a UV-lamp or an infrared radiator, which is also It can be implemented by a laser source that covers-at least approximately-only the currently spattered or just recently spattered spots.

Another kind of sputtering material may require mixing of two or more components to cure. Mixing of these components can take place inside the sputtering apparatus, in particular inside the nozzle, or outside the front of one of the nozzles for each of the components or just above the target surface. For example, it is possible to spray two components of two-component-epoxy material, such as fiber material and polyester, in parallel to sputter the target with fiber-reinforced-plastics such as GRP or fiberglass. Optionally, the mixing of these three components can also take place in one nozzle which ejects the already mixed sputtering material.

Other sputtering materials may need to be preheated, for example in order to liquefy the thermoplastic or wax, whereby the nozzle and the sputtering material supply need to be heated, and in some cases the sputtering target may also be for example infrared, It is necessary to be heated by the laser-beam in a direction similar to the sputtering material which is in particular discharged by the ladles.

In the case of multilayer sputtering, which is quite common in painting applications, there are also delay times between each layer of the application to be handled correctly. This can be done with the determination of environmental condition parameters such as air and / or temperature of the target surface (as measured by an infrared sensor), wind speed and / or humidity for drying or curing the sputtering material. Additional sensors can be included in the sputtering apparatus, for example, to measure the viscosity, concentration, and / or flow rate of the sputtering material. For that purpose, corresponding measuring sensors can be included in the device or placed in the environment of the sputtering tool and the target surface conveying the measured parameters with the tool control.

According to the invention, one or more 3D imaging spatial reference units are used which geometrically refer to the sputtering device directly or indirectly with respect to the target surface according to visual features, in particular according to reference objects, reference points or reference marks. do. Spatial reference units are disposed at locations outside the sputtering device to determine the location and orientation of the sputtering device and / or the target surface. The determined position and orientation information is communicated to calculation means for controlling the sputtering device by wire or wireless means.

The spatial reference unit according to the invention comprises at least two optical cameras. According to the image information collected by the cameras, the spatial reference unit extracts 3D information by digital image processing means. For this purpose, the camera image may comprise spectral information but monochrome cameras (eg infrared or black and white cameras) may be used for this purpose.

By digital image processing, the position and orientation of the sputtering device in space can be evaluated. Therefore, the sputtering apparatus has visual features such as markers or levels to improve the evaluability of position and orientation, in particular to improve the accuracy and / or unambiguousness of the evaluated position and orientation. Can be equipped. The visual features imparted to the sputtering device may be passive (such as geometric objects, textures, stickers, etc. of known shape) or active (such as light sources such as LEDs or lasers that emit modulated or continuous light). . The term "visual" in this case means what can be seen for the cameras and does not necessarily mean what can be seen by the human eye. For example, an infrared light source that emits short pulses of IR-light may also be a visual feature in the present sense if the cameras used are also sensitive in the IR range.

In addition, optical features such as markers or labels can also be applied to the target surface. For example in the case of a smooth, uniquely colored target surface, particularly if the target object itself does not provide uniquely identifiable features by its properties, an example can be provided to provide an easily separable reference to the images from the optical cameras. For example adhesive labels or other tack-markers can be applied to the target surface. Such natural optical features may be faces, such as high contrast, edges, corners, textures, seams, joints, screws, bolts, and the like.

Optical features may also be applied to the target by optical projection of light-marks. Since the marks must provide a reference to the target, the projection must also be established from a fixed position relative to the target, for example from a portion or object of the target that is firmly positioned relative to the target surface. This is not a structured light approach based on 3D measurement where a known (preferably variable) light pattern is projected onto the target surface from a fixed position on a single evaluation camera. It is also not a collection of 3D-information by light section technology where triangulation of the intersection of the target with the light plane is done by a single camera.

In the present invention, the projection of the optical features is established by dot-matrix projection, for example by a projection source located on an arm which is fixed on an object comprising the target surface to be sputtered. Can be. In addition to tripods, screws or clamps, the fixing of such projection means can also be established by magnetic-base-holders, by suction cups or by means of bonding. Thereby, the optical features for reference do not interfere with the application of the spattering, since the position of the marker-in contrast to the viscous-markers available according to the invention-is still sputterable.

Known geometric shapes of the target surface (eg, provided as a CAD-model of the target) can be matched to information determined by the 3D imaging system. This can be used to accurately assess sections of the target surface that may not be uniquely determinable by 3D imaging systems, such as overlaps, recesses, steep stepped features, and the like. In addition, the absolute position of the sputtering data on the target can be evaluated according to the matched CAD-model. Such absolute coordinates may refer to independently defined global, regional or local coordinate systems, or may be targeted, for example, to an article of precisely known geometric shape, such as an automobile body or an article of manufacture such as a new building where walls must be painted. Reference may be made to the surface.

By the use of at least two cameras, epipolar geometry (such as the geometry of stereo vision) or triangulation can be applied. When two cameras see a common 3D scene from two separate locations as stereobasis, in the 2D image plane captured by the cameras that can be represented as 3D points and constraints between the images of the features There are a number of geometric relationships between these projections of.

Restrictions due to these relationships can be expressed mathematically. For illustrative purposes, a simple embodiment is described based on the assumption that the cameras are approximated by a pinhole camera model. For practical implementations, there are many more complex methods known which may include alignment uncertainties, optical distortions, etc. of cameras. Each camera captures a 2D image of the 3D landscape to be evaluated. The transformation from 3D to 2D obtained thereby can be referred to as a perspective projection. In the pinhole camera model, it is common to model this projection behavior by means of ladles exiting the camera and passing through the projection center, where each ray thus corresponds to a single point in the image.

In order to unambiguously associate a point of an object to the matching pixels of each of the two 2D images, some visual features (such as marks, patterns, contrast faces, etc.) must be present in the image. Thereby, the same visual features present in multiple images taken from different perspectives must be identified and matched. Such identification and matching is a well known task in digital image processing techniques. Thereby the picture coordinates of the visual features in the images can be determined in the pixels of the image, preferably also in the subpixels. These coordinates can be used to collect three-dimensional information according to geometric constraints between images due to stereobass and different viewing angles.

In one embodiment, the positions of the at least two observation 2D cameras may be selected by fixing them to a common base having fixed and predefined positions and orientations with respect to each other, also known as a given stereobass.

In another embodiment, the position of the at least two viewing 2D cameras can be arranged and arranged according to the possibilities given by the periphery, for example by providing each of the cameras on its own tripod, freely in each setup. Can be selected. Nevertheless, the positions giving the stereobasis of the setup should be known during the measurement. The cameras may be located at fixed positions relative to each other during the measurement, or if one or more cameras are movable, their actual positions should be determinable by some measuring means. To obtain knowledge of the arrangement of the cameras, a correction by an image or a known object in the field of view of the cameras can be performed. By this calibration, the relative alignment of the camera's field of view with respect to each other can be determined by image processing. Alternatively, camera setup can be surveyed and the survey data is then provided to the spatial reference system of the stereobase.

There are known camera calibration methods for overcoming possible geometrical image distortions of the camera and / or its optics. Thereby the transformation of object-points into image points can be calibrated to fit the model used to collect 3D information.

The fields of view of the different cameras should at least partially overlap, at least in the area of interest to be evaluated.

By the use of two or more cameras, the accuracy and uniqueness of the determined 3D information can be improved when the data from the two or more cameras are combined. Combination can be established, for example, by permutation of images from multiple cameras to be evaluated together or by a combination of multiple 3D results from different camera pairs. Again, evaluation of all images can be done together to achieve a single 3D result. Methods of statistics, such as least square fit or validity-voting, can be applied for multiple 3D measurements that use redundancies to improve precision.

In addition, multiple pairs of cameras from different viewpoints can be used and these 3D results can be combined. This may be helpful, for example, if there is an obstruction in one of the fields of view, where other cameras may still collect 3D information.

In addition, the apparent size of the known geometry in the camera picture, especially if the shape of the known geometry is chosen in such a way as to result in unique 2D views from different viewing angles, also allows calculation of distance and orientation information. ) Can be used as a source of 3D information.

The position and orientation information is communicated to calculation means for instructing the controls to the nozzle control mechanism. Real time communication is preferably done in real time or using a distributed clock system, for example in such a way that the position and orientation values have unique timestamps.

Additional sensors may be used to assist in determining the global location of the spattering device relative to the target surface. GPS (or orientation when using two antennas or even posture when using 3+ antennas) for positioning outdoors, for example in two or three dimensions. In large scale sputtering applications, such a GPS can provide an absolute graphical reference, where the spatial reference unit according to the invention is used to refer to the sputtering device against the target with sufficient precision. Although the use of some known GPS-precision enhancements, such as DGPS or RTK-stations, can increase performance and precision (eg, in cm levels), this generally results in higher precision than can be achieved by GPS. In the case of the graphic application system according to the invention, which is necessary, it is still not sufficiently accurate and certain. Very precise GPS systems are also too slow to handle the power of the sputtering device.

In addition, an electronic range finder (EDM) device or a laser range finder can determine the distance to the target surface to suitably adapt the ejection features. By the use of multiple EDMs or the deflection of their measuring beams it is not only possible to determine the distance, but also to determine the inclination with respect to the target surface.

The sputtering apparatus can also include an additional inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of determining at least a subset of position, velocity, acceleration and attitude in 3D space. This can be used, for example, if there is a temporary disturbance in the cameras view by the operator. In that case, the IMU or range finder can avoid a failure until the spatial reference unit is up again.

Moreover, a plurality of different combinations of the additional sensors mentioned above, eg, multiple camera based spatial reference units + IMUs, multiple camera based spatial reference units + GPS for outdoor applications, or multiple camera based spatial reference units + Ultrasonic or laser-based electronic distance measuring units can be used to determine the distance to the target.

Another addition may be the use of one or more additional cameras located in the sputtering apparatus and directed towards the target surface to determine characteristics of the target surface. The camera in the sputtering apparatus can be used, for example, to determine the obstacles on the target, to determine areas that are already painted or to check the painted results. Further, additional triangulation based distance and / or pose measurements from the device to the target may be based on, for example, the camera image of the device, or some over the target surface on which the shape and / or scale will be distorted depending on the distance or pose. In combination with the structural light projection of the illumination pattern can be implemented to achieve further local reference. Global references in accordance with the invention are always made by a camera based spatial reference unit.

In addition to local spatial references, the velocity and / or accelerations of the nozzle means can also be evaluated and included in the control process.

In a handheld embodiment of a sputtering device, feedback control is based on environment-based parameters such as current position, attitude, and user power that can be used for correction and prediction of position and tilt, route-planning, and environmental parameters. can do. Path-planning may be based on desired sputtering data including information about a desired pattern of paint or powder on the target. The calculation unit may determine an optimized path and procedure for the present sputtering task that can be used to guide the operator to generate a desired pattern on the surface-based on the desired sputtering data. The scheme can also help apply multiple paint layers later. Thereby, aspects and parameters related to the surface condition or paint type such as color, viscosity, type, drying / curing time and the like may also be included in the optimization process.

The planning tool can assist the operator in preparing and simulating the sputtering procedure. The scheme can be executed on a remote computer or can be included in the sputtering device itself if the sputtering device includes a corresponding input and output means for user-conversation. Planning can be done prior to work based on already available digital data, such as 3D models or CAD data, or by surface model information collected by the spatial reference unit.

One embodiment of the workflow in the case of an unknown target may include, for example, a first scanning of the target, a second planning and a third execution of the spattering task, which may include graphical simulations. The planning can also be done online and interactively during the actual sputtering process, which allows for reactions to unforeseen obstacles or uncertainties on the target surface, in particular to inform of problems that may be automatic or present to the user. . The plan may also include information about sudden or unexpected obstacles on the surface.

As described above, the nozzle may be moved by the positioning unit in the sputtering apparatus. In such an embodiment, only the main body of the sputtering apparatus to which the nozzle moves should be spatially referenced. Thereby, the body is generally held in a single position on the target surface until its range at this position is sputtered. The sputtering apparatus is then moved to the next position, in which it is again spatially referenced and the displacement and / or rotation determined by it is used by the calculation means to continue the sputtering of the desired sputtering data. In such embodiments, the spatial reference unit does not face high kinematics and no real time communication of the determined position and orientation is required.

In contrast, in a handheld embodiment high measurement power and possibly real time position and orientation real time communication, to guide the operator to the desired and / or optimized path or when the spatial reference refers directly to the nozzle means rather than the sputtering device body. This should be established.

In a handheld embodiment, the sputtering device may be equipped with some simple symbol lamps to indicate the desired direction of movement to the operator. The desired movement can also be indicated by the symbols on the display. To guide the operator, for example, the current deviation from the desired path is also indicated to facilitate keeping the sputtering device within the range of the desired spattering area where the device can automatically correct or compensate for these deviations. Can be.

There is also the option to overlap the desired sputtering data, such as CAD-data or pictures, with reality. This can be done on the display by superimposing obstacles for the operator and data and / or desired image of the real world captured by the camera. Another option is to project parts or symbols of the CAD data or image directly onto the surface to be painted, at least around the current working area. Another option is to indicate the desired movement by tactile means as well as acoustic signals such as voice commands or beeps.

A common task is also the repair of painted surfaces. Repairs have been spattered on walls, ground, ceilings or previously, but their paint is fading, fading, or spraying the same kind of paint over objects destroyed by some accident, vandalism or repair work. Means that.

The type or color of the paint can be determined in real time from the reference section of the target being worked on. This requires at least sensors to determine the color, if possible also the kind or even thickness of the paint on the target. For example, this can be done by color correcting CCD / CMOS cameras or by paintmeters for sheet metal paint thickness determination, which are known in the art.

To determine color, even when no camera or automatic color determination is used, it may be advantageous to illuminate the target by a light source covering a wide spectral range, which is advantageous for him to monitor the operator's work. In the case of damaged or different paints, for example to repair scratches or graffiti, these disorders can be detected and the previous color can also be determined (or specified by the operator, CAD-system or database). .

The determined color is then mixed and loaded or mixed online by the sputtering device. The exact color will then be applied to the area to be overpainted or repaired, which area can also be determined by a sensor such as an optical camera, for example. In order to determine the area that needs to be repaired, it is also possible to determine the current sputtering thickness to determine whether new or additional sputtering material should be applied to the surface.

If the spattering device is equipped with a dedicated nozzle for sandblasting, the scratched area is prepared, cleaned and, for example, by one single spattering device, before applying a new spattering to the scratched area with a "sandpaper". "Sandpapered".

The nozzle of the sputtering apparatus can also be moved over the target area or surface using some kind of mechanical support unit, such as a robot arm or guide rails. Such a system may be implemented as a portable x-y plotter or inkjet-printer type device having nozzle means movable by a motor in the frame or body of the sputtering device. For mechanical support, there may be guide rails, arms or string guides equipped with means for determining nozzles position in the sputtering apparatus. For example, as in the prior art mentioned above, there may be guide rails that can be fitted to non-uniform free-shaped targets. The support unit can also be configured to ensure a specific nozzle-target distance, or this distance can be adjusted by some automatic means.

In the handheld embodiment of the sputtering device, the above-mentioned supports allow manual surface sputtering which requires almost zero force from the operator, including, for example, gravity compensation of the sputtering device, thereby providing time Expensive sputtering tasks can be executed while reducing operator fatigue.

When using such mechanical supports, the position and attitude can be determined in part or in whole by the sensors included in the sputtering device and / or by the support unit or-if present-by the power system. The spatial reference unit then deals with the position and orientation of the sputtering device, in particular its body, with respect to the target surface. In other words, according to the invention, such a guided sputtering system is also spatially referenced by an external spatial reference unit comprising at least two cameras. The spatial reference of the nozzle means is established directly by the spatial reference device, or indirectly, preferably by some drive mechanism, through the reference of the sputtering device body in which the nozzle can also be positioned (and also oriented). Can be.

The method according to the invention and the devices and setup according to the invention are described or described in more detail below by way of example only, with reference to working examples schematically illustrated in the drawings.

1 shows an example of a possible embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention comprising a surface sputtering device having a single nozzle means for ejecting a single sputtering material and two independent cameras;
2 shows an example of a possible embodiment of a graphic application system according to the invention with a sputtering apparatus and a stereographic camera setup with a single nozzle means for discharging a plurality of sputtering materials or mixtures of these sputtering materials;
3 shows another example of another embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention with a plurality of nozzle means, each of which discharges a particular sputtering material; and a 3D imaging unit;
4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment comprising two cameras and a plurality of nozzle means for applying desired sputtering data over a target surface according to the invention;
5 shows an example of possible use of the graphic application system according to the invention with a row of nozzles for sputtering a target;
6 shows an example of a graphical application system according to the invention with a sputtering device comprising additional sensors and control elements;
7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention with a surface sputtering device comprising a positioning system for nozzle means and a stereographic imaging unit;
8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention with a handheld surface sputtering device referenced by a plurality of camera units in accordance with visual features imparted to the sputtering device;
9 shows an exemplary embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention that is sputtering a large, free form shaped three dimensional object;
10 shows another exemplary embodiment of a graphics application system according to the invention that is sputtering a large free-shaped three-dimensional object with visual features projected onto the target;
11 shows an exemplary embodiment of a graphic application system according to the invention with a nozzle means located within the body of the sputtering apparatus, the body being spatially referenced by a number of camera setups and visual features;
12 shows another exemplary embodiment of a graphical application system according to the invention with visual features imparted to a target surface and a sputtering apparatus.

The figures in the figures should not be considered drawn to scale.

1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a handheld surface sputtering device 9 comprising the following parts:

Nozzle means (1) designed to eject, eject or spray the sputtering material (2) onto the target surface (3). The nozzle means 1 comprises a nozzle control mechanism 4 for controlling the ejection features (or the features of ejection) of the nozzle means 1.

The ejection features are for example parameters such as aroma, jet-shape, jet-emission, pressure, speed, material ratio, emerging speed, aggregate state and / or composition of ejected sputtering material, etc. It affects the shape and / or direction of the ejected jet of the sputtering material 2 which can be defined by.

The sputtering material 2 (indicated by a jet of ejected sputtering material) can be of different properties such as liquid, solid, gas or a mixture of these states. Common examples of sputtering materials are paint, finish, lacquer, ink and powder, but concrete, wax, plastics, asbestos, sand and the like can be ejected. The spattering material 2 can be embodied as a storage 12 located in the spattering device 9, for example as a link of a tank or container, or as a pipeline of the external sputtering material storage 12. It is supplied to the nozzle means 1 by the turing material supply apparatus 5.

The target surface 3 may also be different from sheet metals, walls, floors, grounds, ceilings, roads, machinery, automobile or airplane bodies, boat hulls, clothing, and the like. It can be implemented by objects. The target surface 3 may also be limited to certain areas of the objects mentioned. The target surface can be of any shape and can also be edges, corners, concavities, obstacles and the like.

The ejected jet of sputtering material 2 directed to the target surface 3 results in spots of the sputtering material 2 on the target surface 3. The spot is the shape and spot of the spot on the target surface 3 depending on the distance 11 between the nozzle means 1 and the target surface 3 and the characteristics of the ejection and the inclination of the ejection direction with respect to the target surface 3. Characterized by the size 10.

The nozzle control mechanism 4 for controlling the ejection features of the discharge of the nozzle means 1 resulting in different ejection features is for example motors and / or valves, in particular micro-motors and / or micro-valvees. It can be changed from the simple on / off switching of the ejection to the control of many of the mentioned ejection features by mechanical and / or aerodynamical means which can be adjusted by. Since the blowout can also be initiated by piezoelectric, heat or other effects, they can also be influenced by the pressure or flow rate of the nozzle control means and for example the sputtering material supply 5.

The calculating means 8 controls or adjusts the nozzle control mechanism 4. It can be a microcontroller, embedded system, personal computer, or other handheld sputtering device that can only have more capacity and performance than for example in a handheld device such as a personal computer, laptop or workstation. It may be implemented in the form of a distributed system comprising a basic computing unit capable of establishing a communication link to the computing means. The communication link may be established by wired or wireless means.

The computing means 8 comprises or is connected to at least one storage which can be embodied as RAM, ROM, hard disk, memory card, USB stick or the like, which can be fixed or removable or a combination of both.

The storage can be CAD drawing, vector graphics, bitmap picture (compressed or decompressed) or even contain desired sputtering data 6 which can contain three-dimensional information. It is organized in a memorable manner. In the case of a distorted, curved or non-uniform target surface 3 that needs to be sputtered, the sputtering data-in addition to the two-dimensional artwork information-is also a three-dimensional fitting of the artwork onto the surface. It may include additional information about.

Another embodiment that includes the desired sputtering data in 3D may constitute three-dimensional sputtering, in particular by multiple layers of sputtering material 2, where previous sputtering is a new target for current sputtering. It can be seen as the surface 3, in particular where sputtering can be applied to multiple layers of sputtering material 2. The sputtering device 9 can be moved in three dimensions or more, which can bring advantages over stereo lithography devices or known 3D-printers based on three orthogonal axes. Therefore, the layers are not limited to parallel and equidistant slices as in conventional 3D printing, and the layers can be applied from several directions. In that regard, the actual target surface of each sputtering process can be inclined to the previous one. This can for example improve the mechanical strength of a 3D object constructed by a surface sputtering device, because the layers can be formed in the direction of mechanical stress to be applied to the object during use, or in other words a layer of sputtering material This is because their orientation may be arbitrarily shaped or curved in such a way as to achieve maximum strength at the point of view of the expected load distribution when the sputtered object is in use. In other words, the sputtered layers can follow tension lines, which is not the case for modern Cartesian 3D printing.

For example, the free movement in space of the spattering device 9 applies the spattering material 2 from different angles or even from underneath or through the whole which is not accessible by the three-axis 3D system. Where complex structures may be less configured to support webs or bridges that must be removed in order to produce a final 3D product in the future. The application of three-dimensional structures as the desired sputtering data can in particular use the mentioned methods for curing the sputtering material 2.

The user can be directionally guided in moving the device as discussed above to allow handheld 3D sputtering of very complex structures from almost any aspect and angle of the object. For example, an upright structure can be constructed by sputtering from about the top, while sideways extensions can be applied by sputtering from about each side. Obviously, the direction of sputtering need not necessarily be perpendicular to the direction of the structural part to be applied by sputtering, but can also be inclined to a certain range. Limiting factors are such flat spattering angles at which the shadowing or sputtering material of the target surface to be sputtered will not stick to the surface, both of which must be explicitly avoided. . Due to the handheld movement of the sputtering device, the above mentioned conditions are easily achieved by automated user guidance, in particular, giving the operator a hint about the desired movement strokes, at least the approximate movements, which the operator's hand should perform. This is possible because the nozzle control can handle possible fine adjustments of the ejection. In addition, a display or augmented reality display of the desired object from the operator's point of view may be used as a guidance aid.

The term target surface in this embodiment may be the surface of an already created part, sub-part or cross section of the desired 3D object that requires further building up. This orientation of the surface is not limited to parallel planar slices, as in common rapid prototyping systems, but from a particular direction, in particular approximately perpendicular to the surface. By pointing the sputtering device at the < RTI ID = 0.0 > The desired spattering data in three dimensions may also include different sputtering materials information, for example a body consisting of only one material and a surface-finish coating consisting only of a second material, both of which are identical spatter Applied by the turing device.

In the prior art, handheld sputtering devices could only apply a flat 2D coating that would best provide a flat, smooth, uniform coating of the target surface. The present sputtering device goes beyond this to enable handheld application of desired two dimensional material distributions such as flat images, as well as actual three dimensional desired sputtering patterns in the form of reliefs or three dimensional objects. do.

There, the position and orientation of the sputtering device in space can be used as a basis for calculating the portions of the desired 3D sputtering data to be applied, as well as the already applied portions of the desired sputtering data and the target object of the desired data. It can be found, scanned or measured to determine the desired range of portions and orientations of the device to be applied and the device on which the application can be performed. By doing so, the user can be guided to hold the sputtering device in a preferred range of orientation for applying these spatial coordinates and a particular portion of the 3D pattern. By means of the handheld approach, a known, rigid, portal-based, while avoiding the costs of complex robotic arm guidance to enable a range of positional and orientation flexibility as achievable by the lightweight handheld device given herein. There is much more flexibility than with 3D-printers. The handheld concept can also often be advantageous but solves the problem of repair or sight construction of 3D parts that are not possible with large, inflexible rigid conventional machinery for 3D printing tasks.

For example, ship-hulls, vehicle bodies, casings or parts thereof may be used as a sputtering material such as fiber-composites, thermoplastics without having to have a positive or negative mold. It can be sputtered with resins, thermosetting resins, sintering powders, or other sputtering materials mentioned above, or with a digital three-dimensional sputtering pattern of the desired object supplied to the device from some storage means by hand only. . The described curing unit of sputtering material may enable rapid application of the next layer of material over the previous one by immediate curing of the spattering material after application of the sputtering material.

The apparatus according to this aspect may also be called a handheld 3D printing unit, which unit is controlled nozzle means 1, a spatial reference unit, and a spatial reference and the desired sputtering data 6 for ejecting the material 2. In order to control the nozzle means 1 according to a) it comprises a calculation unit 8 with storage for the desired 3D sputtering data 6. The device may further comprise user guiding means for guiding the virtual space of the hand of the person holding the device 9.

The calculation means 8 also includes one or more humans such as displays, screens, projectors, touch screens, multi-touch screens, lamps, lights, button knobs, dials, joysticks, speakers, microphones, and the like. It may include or be connected to the interface 26 and machine interfaces for providing communication with additional technical equipment.

Power for the sputtering device 9 can be supplied by cable or by energy storages such as batteries. The device may further be supplied with compressed air and / or sputtering material which can be stored in the device or supplied by remote means.

The calculating means 8 can access the spatial information from the spatial reference unit 30. Spatial referencing can occur in 3D space with different degrees of freedom (DOF), for example 5 or 6 DOF. The reference may take place in a local coordinate system or in a superordinate or global coordinate system by a global reference for outdoor referencing. Depending on the present sputtering task, it is also particularly true if the sputtering device 9 is parallel to the target surface 3 to be painted or guided on the surface 3 or the target distance 11 is supported by the support or additionally. Once determined by the distance measuring unit, it may be sufficient to refer to less degrees of freedom.

The required resolution and achievable range of the spatial reference unit 30 depend on the application in which the actual sputtering device 9 is designed. This desired range is for indoors with several meters of extension, outdoors with tens or hundreds of meters for large paint projects such as stadiums or road markings from local, small area positioning. It can be changed to regional or whole regions.

The spatial reference unit 30 for determining the position and orientation (or pose) according to the invention comprises a plurality of two-dimensional image sensors 31 (also known as photographic or video cameras), in particular a CMOS for detecting optical radiation. Or CCD sensor arrays.

Spatial reference is achieved by one or more camera (s) 31 for orientation and position determination. Such systems are also referred to as vision based tracking systems or stereoscopic systems. The cameras 31 are arranged stereobasis 39 with respect to each other, which means that they are positioned away from each other resulting in different views of the scene of interest. The images of the cameras 31 are at least partially capturing the same landscape, but can be seen from different locations. Based on stereobasis 39, there are geometric limitations that allow collecting 3D information from multiple images. In that respect, the same visual feature in each of the images is identified and its respective coordinates in each of the images are determined (eg in the picture- or image-coordinates of the pixels and preferably subpixels). Such tasks are quite common today in digital image processing, and there are software libraries available to achieve this, or even a collection of libraries for complete 3D imaging from multiple camera views. Because the images are different, the same visual feature will likewise have different picture coordinates and, depending on stereobasis 39, three-dimensional information of the visual feature can be calculated. Stereobasis 39 is known by the configuration of the spatial reference unit 30, in particular if their setup is fixed, or in particular standalone cameras that can be positioned independently during the setup of the spatial reference unit ( 31), it can be measured and calibrated by known reference geometry. Therefore, the spatial reference unit 30 having at least two cameras 31 is a single device, each of at least one camera 31 or a set of cameras 31 and evaluation means 36 for performing image processing. It may be implemented as a plurality of devices including a. The image processing can also be done on the remote computing means, for example on the same computing means 8 used to control the nozzle means.

The visual features 33 are configured in such a way that they can be identified in the images from the cameras 31 (not necessarily for the human eye). For example, they may provide contrast faces and / or known shapes or geometries for making them identifiable in the image. Visual features 33 may be naturally occurring features that are visible and identifiable in an image, such as textures, edges, differently colored sections, and the like. They are also artificially applied visual features 33, for example means for bonding, magnets, adhesion, suction cups, glue, screws, bolts, clamps It can be implemented by the markers attached by).

Visual features 33 may also be active light spots in the form of light emitters such as incandescent bulbs, LEDs, lasers, fluorescent materials, etc. that emit continuous or pulsed light. In particular, since a single visual feature 33 of unknown shape and size is generally not sufficient to determine spatial reference with 5 or 6 degrees of freedom, a plurality of sets of visual features are for reference by the cameras 31. Used.

An embodiment of the sputtering device 9 may be equipped with an arrangement of a plurality of LEDs, for example as active visual features 33, which device may be uniquely determined in its position and orientation, for example. Linking codes, configured in a manner that can be supported by different colors. In addition, an arrangement of passive visual feature features 33, such as one or more objects of well-defined shape and / or color, may be used as the visual features. They may also include fluorescent or retroreflective surfaces.

A further set of visual features 33 may also be present on the target surface 3, in particular when the surface itself does not provide such features, a uniformly colored, smooth surface. These can preferably be implemented by stickers of known shape, color or texture. If their shape is discernible in the images, there is no need to know them in advance. If the shape and / or size of the feature is known, its appearance size and / or shape in the image can be used to determine additional information regarding its distance and / or angle to the camera 31. . Visual features 33 may alternatively also be attached by magnets, clamps, screws or other means. An alternative is also projected on the light markers projected from the target surface 3 or an object which is rigidly fixed thereto, since their position relative to the target surface must be fixed. Such light markers as visual features may simply be over-spattered by the sputtering device 9, which may not be possible when sticky markers are used.

There may be a first set of visual features 33 in the sputtering device and a second set of visual features 33 at the target surface, so that at least its located away from the sputtering device 9. The spatial reference unit 9 with the two cameras 31 can refer to the sputtering device 9 and the target surface 3 with one another.

One possible additional option for outdoor applications is a GPS system that can optionally be assisted by additional sensors 6A such as IMUs, digital compasses and / or inclinometers. Another additional option is the IMU, which can optionally be assisted by a digital compass and inclinometer.

Since the spatial reference unit 30 is located away from the sputtering apparatus 9, a communication link 32 from the remote spatial reference unit 30 to the calculation means 9 for handling the nozzle control mechanism 4 is established. Should be. Preferably, real time communication is used which allows the handling of high dynamic movements, in particular in the case of hand guidance of the sputtering device 9. Optionally, potentially occurring delays can be compensated-at least in part-by predictive or predictive capabilities, in which case additional information collected, for example from the IMU, can also be helpful.

The sputtering device 9 can also be used to measure the distance to the target surface or-when using multiple range finders, it can also be used to determine relative tilt with respect to the target surface. It may comprise further sensor means 6A, such as a range finder (s) or range finder (s), based on the laser or radio waves. Distance-to-surface sensors 6A may be used for both 2D and / or 3D if properly arranged.

The nozzle 1 of the sputtering apparatus 9 also has a jointed arm, which allows to determine the positions of the nozzles within the body of the sputtering apparatus 9 and / or the spatial sizes of its orientation, It can be attached to a Cartesian guide or other means in the sputtering device. The spatial reference unit 30 is then used to determine the position and orientation of the sputtering apparatus body and thereby also the nozzle 1 according to the invention.

One embodiment includes a passive (meaning no power) or active (meaning powered) articulated arm to which the surface sputtering device 9 is attached. In order to achieve the positioning of the surface sputtering device 9 relative to the target surface 3, the spatial reference unit 30-together with the articulated arm sizes-is provided with the nozzle means 1 and the target surface. It is used to refer to the arms base for the target surface 3 allowing the calculation of relative spatial information between (3), wherein the information is included to control the features of the ejection of the nozzle means 1. Can be. If a digital 3D model of the target surface 3 is present, it also for example measures spatially the feature points of a real world embodiment and matches these corresponding 3D models and thereby one for its CAD model. It is possible to define the target surface 3 with reference to the above target surfaces 3.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 is a sputtering apparatus for ejecting a single sputtering material 2 or monochromatic paint supplied from a sputtering material storage 12 as a premixed sputtering material 2 of desired color, viscosity, etc. 9) is shown.

Figure 2 shows another schematic diagram of an embodiment of a graphics application system according to the present invention. The nozzle means 1 in this figure comprises a mixture of a plurality of sputtering materials 2 inside the sputtering apparatus 9. In the example shown, there are three sputtering material supplies 5r, 5g, 5b corresponding to the red, green and blue paint materials supplied from the corresponding storages 12r, 12g, 12b. The different sputtering materials can then be mixed inside the nozzle means 1 in a desired composition, controlled by the nozzle control mechanism 4, to achieve the desired color to be ejected by the nozzle means, for example.

The dose of each of the supplied colors can be achieved, for example, by valves, pumps with variable discharge amounts or other known means. If necessary, some further stirring can be done to achieve a homogeneous mixture. By mixing different sputtering materials from the feeders 12r, 12g, 12b, the sputtering device 9 can automatically eject many colors and color transitions.

When referring to the term color in this application, it may also mean a mixture of other sputtering materials that do not necessarily result in a change in color, such as, for example, mixing with a curing agent, solvent or other additives.

There is also an additional storage 12x having a supply 5x (shown in dashed lines), which may include, for example, a solvent that can be mixed to adjust the viscosity of the paint. In another example, in order to achieve metal effects, hammered finish, etc., for example, the feeder 5x is a special color (black that cannot be achieved by clear varnish, mixing). Or other additives, such as, white, gold, silver, and the like, may be supplied to the sputtering material. In other embodiments, the feeder 5x may include other features of the sputtering material 2 and materials that may affect curing.

The target surface 3 in this figure adjusts the ejection characteristics of the nozzle means 1 to achieve the desired spot diameter on the target surface 3 regardless of the change in distance and inclination introduced by the following steps. A step configuration that can be automatically handled by a nozzle control mechanism 4. In addition to the fully automatic adjustment of the ejection features, the operator can also be guided or helped to handle the device in a way to achieve the latter.

Spatial reference unit 30 comprises two cameras 31 in a given stereobass 39. The communication link 32 is implemented as wired real time communication represented by an antenna.

The embodiment of the sputtering apparatus 9 shown in FIG. 3 can also sputter the target surface 3 with a different mixture of sputtering materials 2r, 2g, 2b. The main difference from the previous figures is that in this embodiment there is a separate nozzle means 1 for each sputtering material supply 5r, 5g, 5b (5x). The actual mixing of the sputtering materials 2r, 2b, 2g is carried out inside the jets of the material 2b, 2g, 2r to the target or by overlapping the spots of the respective nozzles on the target surface. On the outside of the nozzle means itself.

The desired color effect can also be achieved without the actual mixing of the spattering material by aligning separate spots of different spattering materials close to each other, so that they produce the desired color effect when viewed from a distance. This color generation method is also referred to as dithering in the art of inkjet printing. The number of different sputtering material supplies 5 and therefore the nozzles 1 is not limited to a specific number, but may include, for example, colors red, green, blue, black and white to achieve a wide color range. It depends on the desired mixing of the sputtering materials 2 which must be achieved. In addition, other basic sets of known colors or subsets thereof may be used, for example from a mix of color ranges of RAL-color cards.

In addition to direct mixing of multiple sputtering materials, different nozzles 1 or one single nozzle 1 may be used, for example, to alternately apply to multiple layers of polyester and fibers automatically in a subsequent manner by the same apparatus. Also may be used by different sputtering materials 2. By means of an optional further sensor means 6A, the sputtering thickness already applied on the target surface 3 can be determined.

In this example, the target surface 3 is inclined relative to the spattering device 9 which can be detected by the spatial reference unit 30, as a result of which the nozzle control means 4 is related to the inclination and / or the distance. Without achieving the desired sputtering of the target 3, and / or when the desired result is actually achievable, it is possible to automatically adjust the ejection characteristics of the nozzle means 1 only to eject the sputtering material 2. . Therefore, the device 9 can also store information of the areas for already sputtered and / or still-spattering on the target surface 3.

The desired sputtering data 6 may also include or obtain information about the holes 14 in the target surface 3. This may help to avoid, for example, waste of the sputtering material 2 and also soiling of the environment behind the hole 14. Clearly, this principle can also apply to obstacles, irregularities or singularities on the target surface 3 other than the holes 14.

In FIG. 4 there is a similar embodiment of the sputtering device 9 as in FIG. 3. This embodiment provides a method according to the invention, in which the multicolor pattern 16 defined by the desired sputtering data 6 can be applied onto the target surface 3, for example a company logo on a building wall or parking lot. Color CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) coloring system. This can be achieved without any masking of unwanted sputtering on the target surface, whereby the productivity of the sputtering process can be improved, because the masking process can be very time consuming and its quality is overall This is because it can greatly affect the spattering result.

According to the spatial reference unit 30, the calculation means 8 applies the sputtering device 9 to the target surface 3, in order to apply the pattern defined by the desired sputtering data 6 onto the target surface 3. The nozzle control mechanism 4 is controlled by adjusting the ejection features in accordance with the spatial orientation of), in particular the relative spatial orientation of each nozzle means 1 relative to the target spot on the target surface 3.

In this embodiment, the nozzle control mechanism 4 can also finely adjust the ejection or ejection direction from the nozzle 1 by, for example, tilting the nozzle 1 or affecting the ejected jet of the material 2. . Depending on the spatial orientation and knowledge of the already sputtered and still-to-spatter areas on the target surface 3, the calculation means 8 is directed to the current target on the surface 3. It is possible to automatically determine whether or not to release the sputtering material 2 for the spot to be made. In this case, the current target spot in the ejecting direction of the nozzle 1 can also be finely adjusted by means of deflecting the present ejecting direction. Deflection may also compensate for uncertainties and tremors in hand guiding. In addition, the nozzle control mechanism 4 can also adjust the amount of ejection divergence and / or the ejection material 2 per hour.

In combination with one of the previously mentioned color-mixing-methods, the graphic application system according to the invention is defined by the desired sputtering data 6, which is provided for example as an image or digital artwork stored on a memory card. It is possible to apply multicolor sputtering onto the target surface 3 which can be made. Such an image may be stored in the form of a so-called bitmap containing a matrix of predefined pixels defining the spots of the sputtering material to be applied, and may also contain information about the desired type or color of the material. Alternatively, the image may be stored in compressed form or in the form of vector information (eg CAD-file), textual information, etc., which may be converted by the computing means into a desired distribution of sputtering material spots on the target surface. The desired sputtering data may include a target surface (information about a plurality of regions or sections or subsections of the target surface to be sputtered with different properties, in particular different color, sputtering material, thickness, surface conditions, etc.). 6) can be described as a digital representation of the desired pattern 6 to be sputtered up.

5 shows another exemplary embodiment of a graphic application system according to the invention comprising a row or line of multiple nozzle means 1. The figure shows the nozzles 1 for the sputtering material 2 for mixing as described for FIG. 2, but other described mixing methods are applicable in a row-array in a similar manner.

By arranging the plurality of nozzles 1 in a row or bar or other arrangement, it is possible to cover a large area on the target surface at a time, while keeping the blowout divergence and target-spot-size small. The target surface 3 is represented by the vehicle body (not shown in a proportion). The bar arrangement also avoids handling inaccuracies by ejecting only from those nozzles 1 which actually target the part of the surface 3 to be sputtered according to the desired sputtering data 6 while deactivating the other nozzles 1. Can be used to compensate.

Spattering or painting can occur during the manufacture of a motor vehicle or also in the case of repair or replacement of parts of the vehicle body. For example, in the case of repairs, a color detection system on or outside the sputtering device 9 can be used to determine the current and therefore desired color of the vehicle to be repaired, the information being then used to achieve the desired color. It can be used to adjust the color mixing system of the sputtering device 9 as appropriate.

In addition, the graphical application system can manually, automatically or semi-automatically detect the desired area to be sputtered, for alignment of the desired sputtering data and by spatial reference measurements. The desired area can also be detected or suggested in the CAD data model or naturally existing optical features such as the boundaries, edges or corners of the desired area to be sputtered, for example by edges or contours of polygons surrounding the desired area. Or may be provided by an optical feature such as a laser spot or a marker applied to the target surface 3.

The target surface 3 can also be digitized by the spatial reference unit 30, in which the desired sputtering area and / or the desired sputtering data 6 are actually sputtered on the sputtering device 9 itself or on the remote computer device. Prior to the turing process, it may be present as an image or a 3d-model on the screen that can be observed, selected and adjusted. In addition, special patterns such as logs and the like can be virtually disposed on the model or image of the target surface 3 by similar means.

Other examples of determining the desired sputtering data 6 are an on-line or off-line measurement of the actual sputtering thickness or inspection of the target surface 3 by the sensor means for detecting color or thickness differences, for example. The paint-thickness-sensors mentioned are known and used in motor vehicle or sheet metal areas, for example, to determine the spatter thickness. The sputtering device can include or interact with paint recognition sensors that can determine the color, visual characteristics, type or state of paint that has been applied long ago or directly applied to a surface. Typical examples of such paint recognition sensors 6A are, for example, digital cameras, infrared or ultraviolet cameras or sensors, spectrum analyzers, in combination with a corresponding illumination system.

Another option is to provide an electronic display or projection means that allows the superimposition of the desired sputtering data 6 on the screen or the desired sputtering data 6 to be projected onto the target surface 3 by a picture or laser-line projector. It is equipped with (9).

6 shows an embodiment of a graphic application system according to the invention with a handheld sputtering device 9 for sputtering a target object comprising a target surface 3, wherein the device further comprises sensor means. 6A is equipped.

The figure shows the previous sputtering 21 already provided on the surface for a considerably long time or from a previous working session. In addition to this old sputtering 21, the new sputtering 22 may wish to match the color and surface features of the previous sputtering, for example, or may be placed over the previous sputtering 21, for example. It needs to be applied to the target surface 3 which can be a graphic item. To determine the features of the previous sputtering 21, the paint recognition sensor 6A may be included or attached to the device 9. Alternatively, a camera based spatial reference unit according to the invention can be used to collect information about the optical features of the target surface 3.

Interacting with the device 9, such as selecting, arranging, modifying, adjusting, generating or defining the desired sputtering data 6, requires the spattering thickness, color, Not only does it include the selection of simple sputtering parameters such as target surface edges, etc., but it also involves fairly complex graphic designs. This embodiment of the sputtering device 9 comprises a human-machine interface 26 (HMI), for example comprising buttons, knobs, joysticks, dials, displays, touch screens and the like. Include. In addition to adjusting the desired sputtering data 6 locally at the device 9, this task can also be performed on the remote computer and then transferred to the device, for example by a memory card or by a wired or wireless data link. Thereby, the required steering in the HMI of the sputtering device can be reduced. HMI 26 may also be used as a direction indication 20 for user guidance as discussed.

The spatial reference unit 30 is implemented with at least two cameras 31 in which stereobasis are arranged. In the images of the cameras 31, the visual features are matched and the 3D information is collected by the image processing means based on the geometrical limitations of the images and stereobasis.

Digital image processing may be performed in accordance with identification means configured to identify the visual feature 33 in the images, measurement means configured to determine the picture coordinates of the visual feature 33 and geometric constraints between the picture coordinates and the picture coordinates. It can be done by a 3D imaging unit comprising 3D modeling means configured to determine position and orientation. Thereby the determination of the spatial reference can be done with at least five degrees of freedom. The graphical application system comprises a spatial reference unit 30 which requires the setup of at least one base station with a camera 31 external to the sputtering device 9.

The spatial reference unit 30 from above may optionally be supported by an additional IMU to determine the dynamics of the movement, in particular for a hand held device. This information can be combined with the spatial position and orientation measurements of the spatial reference unit 30.

The nozzles 1 and the nozzle control means 4 are also included in the sputtering apparatus 9 shown, in particular this embodiment comprises a plurality of nozzles 1 in a row-arrangement. . The illustrated embodiment also includes one or more sputtering material supply (s) 5 and a sputtering material tank (s) 12. In combination with energy storage such as batteries and / or compressed gas tanks, this allows the wireless sputtering device 9 to be moved freely by hand without any cables and / or supply lines.

Another embodiment of the sputtering device 9 is a heavy part such as a power and spatter material tank 12 connected to the lightweight handheld nozzle-device by cables and pipes to lower the weight to be moved during sputtering. Can be divided into external stations (or some sort of backpack for a handheld device). Such an arrangement may include a support frame attached to the operator's body at ground, to the target surface or to support the weight of the device. Embodiments of such supports in a handheld embodiment may be similar to those in the field of, for example, smoothly guiding bulky professional film or video cameras.

The sputtering apparatus 9 may comprise display means for user guidance to assist the user in guiding the sputtering apparatus 9 to areas that follow the desired path and still need to be sputtered. Such guidance may be accomplished by optical, acoustical or tactile means. For example, the desired direction indication by LEDs and by symbols on the screen indicating the desired direction. It is also possible to display more advanced, for example 3D guidance information and numerical values on an electronic display or to directly project guide lines, shapes, symbols or indications onto the target surface 3 to be sputtered. Do. Also, sound indication by voice commands or beeps may be used. These display means can be included in the HMI 26 mentioned above.

An embodiment of the graphical application system according to the invention also provides additional environmental sensors for determining local environmental conditions such as temperature, wind speed, humidity, time, and other factors affecting the drying conditions of the sputtering material. 6A) or may be connected thereto. The environmental information collected by these sensors 6A can be used by calculation means for instructing the nozzle control mechanism, for example, for multilayer painting. In addition, there may be sensors 6A for analyzing the sputtering material, such as determining its viscosity, flow rate, supply stock, and the like. In addition, the direction of gravity can be taken into account in determining the desired ejection characteristics.

The embodiment of the sputtering device 9 can be simply moved manually by hand or with guide rails, trolley stands, wheeled carts, joint-arms and the like. It may be at least partially supported by the same means. For example, a hand cart for marking sports-fields with chalk-lines, comprising a spattering device according to the invention, may be provided by the marking means 26 with the desired markings. It guides the user to hand-drag it along the path and automatically corrects minor deviations by the nozzle control means. Such a system may also be used, for example, to correctly apply sports club logos on the grounds or walls by the hand held device 9. This can be done in the spattering device 9 by loading the desired color, applying this color to the parts of the logo that require it, then loading the next color in multiple colors, and then for each color. Another option is the use of a sputtering device 9 which includes automatic color mixing and is capable of applying multicolor sputtering on the target surface 3.

An embodiment of the graphic application system according to the invention is a position, angle and / or such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), an electronic distance meter (EDM), a global positioning system (GPS) (in addition to the spatial reference unit 30). Inertial determination means may optionally be included. It also provides additional sensor means 6A for determining the target surface 3 properties, in particular sputtered and unsputtered areas, current sputtering thickness, current surface color and / or direction of gravity. It may include.

Embodiments of the surface sputtering apparatus 9 can be configured in such a way that the target surface 3 is sputtered by one or more colors or materials 2, wherein the colors or materials 2 are:

Dithering or spattering the dot-matrix of the spots of the spattering material of the base set of different colors or materials 2 from the spattering material supply 5 and mixing,

Spots of different sputtering material 2 on the target surface 3, on-line with the nozzle means 1, inside or in front of the nozzle means 1, or among a set of different sputtering materials 2. Overlaid and mixed or

It can be mixed off-line with the pre-mixed color or material 2 supplied from the sputtering material supply 5.

The embodiment of the graphical application system shown in FIG. 7 is used to sputter the logo contained in the desired sputtering data over the curved surface of the automobiles 26 door. The surface sputtering device 9 comprises a main body 40, ie a frame 40, on which nozzle means are located by a servo-motor. The body 40 is fixed relative to the target surface 3 (in this case a motor vehicle). The body comprises a set of visual features 33 in which the position and orientation of the visual features are arranged in a determinable manner by the spatial reference unit 30. The spatial reference unit also evaluates the visual features 33 of the vehicles 26 body or in the vehicles 26, whereby a spatial reference of the sputtering device 9 to the target surface is established. In order to sputter the desired logo onto the door, the calculation means is positioned within the spattering device 9 and its position from the ejection and spatial reference unit 30 based on the desired sputtering data as well. And orientation information.

Although a similar setup is shown in FIG. 8, it is spatially referenced by the spatial reference unit 30 by the visual feature 33B imparted thereto in the form of an LED arrangement with a known geometry. The spatial reference unit also evaluates the visual features 33A of the motor vehicle 26, for example the door contours 33A. The position and orientation reference established thereby is used by the calculating unit to control the nozzle means in such a way that the desired sputtering data is applied to the target position in the door. To accomplish this, the operator of the sputtering apparatus can be guided to follow the optimized path as described above.

As shown in FIG. 9, the graphic application system according to the invention applies a desired pattern 6 to the curved surface of the aircraft 26 by means of a spatial reference system having a surface sputtering device 9 and cameras 31. Used to.

In FIG. 10, an example of the target surface 3 is also above the aircraft means 26. There is a first set of visual features 33B imparted to the surface sputtering device 9. The second set of visual features 33A is applied to the target surface 3. In order not to disturb the sputtering process, the visual features 33A on the target surface 3 are projected by a light source 35 disposed on the target surface 3 and away from the cameras 31 of the spatial reference unit. do. The cameras 31 are positioned at different viewing angles to avoid disturbing their view by the operator of the sputtering device 9. Two or more cameras 31 are arranged in such a way that at least two cameras 31 can always observe the visual features 33A, 33B and thereby allow for effective determination of position and orientation. If the position and orientation cannot be determined by the camera based spatial reference unit, additional IMUs in the sputtering apparatus 9 can take on the position and orientation determination. For at least a short time the disturbance is terminated and the spatial reference system escapes the fault and returns to normal operation. The IMU can also be included, for example, to help the camera-based spatial reference to obtain additional information of the inclination of the sputtering device and to compensate for the high dynamic motion of the sputtering device 9.

11 shows another similar setup of the graphical application system according to the invention. In comparison with the previous figures, the sputtering device 9 comprises a body 40 having a nozzle means movable therein. Since the position of the nozzle inside the sputtering apparatus 9 is known by its positioning unit, the spatial reference system merely depends on the visual reference marks 33A, 33B in the body of the sputtering 9, The position and orientation of the sputtering device 9 with respect to the target 3 must be established. The sputtering device 9 itself can be temporarily attached to the target 3 by, for example, suction cups, belts, clamps, screws or the like. If the spatterable range of the spattering device 9 (given by its positioning system) is sputtered, the entire spattering device 9 is separated, repositioned at the target surface 3 and reattached. . Depending on the new position and orientation of the sputtering device 9, determined by the spatial reference unit, sputtering can continue. Desired sputtering data larger than the range of the sputtering device can be applied to the target surface 3 as a result of a plurality of tiles which are precisely located and oriented with respect to each other and with respect to the target surface 3. In an optional embodiment, the visual features 33A, 33B can also be directly attached to the movable nozzle means and its spatial position and orientation relative to the target is directly determined by the visual space unit with the cameras 31. do.

12 shows another similar embodiment in which the visual features 33A on the target have reference markers assigned to the target surface 3. The spatial reference unit increases the visible range of the spatial reference system and collects more redundant data that can be used to increase the precision, at least by means of interpolation, least square fit, and the like. Imaging unit 30 and two additional stand-alone cameras 31.

1: nozzle means 2: sputtering material
3: target surface 4: nozzle control mechanism
5: sputtering material supply device 8: calculation means
9: handheld surface sputtering device 12: storage

Claims (15)

At least one nozzle means 1 for ejecting the sputtering material 2 onto the target surface 3, a nozzle control mechanism 4 for controlling the features of the ejection of the nozzle means 1, and sputtering A surface sputtering device 9 comprising a material supply device 5;
A spatial reference unit (30) referring to the spattering device (9) in space, in particular with respect to the target surface (3), to determine the position and orientation of the spattering device (9);
In the manner in which the target surface 3 is sputtered according to the desired sputtering data 6, in accordance with the information obtained by the spatial reference unit 30 and in the desired pattern of digital to be sputtered over the target surface 3. Computation means (8) for automatically controlling the ejection by the nozzle control mechanism (4) according to the desired sputtering data (6) predefined as a CAD-model or digital image comprising a representation; And
Communication means (32) for establishing a communication link from said spatial reference unit (30) to said calculation means (8) for supplying said position and orientation to said calculation means (8) ; In the graphic application system comprising:
The spatial reference unit 30 is a 3D imaging unit having at least two optical 2D cameras 31 positioned away from the sputtering device 9 and with stereobass 39 arranged in the middle of the cameras 31. Wherein the 3D imaging unit is designed to determine the position and orientation of the sputtering device 9 by digital image processing of the images taken by the cameras 31. system. The method of claim 1,
The 3D imaging unit,
Identification means configured to identify a visual feature (33, 33A, 33B) in the images;
Measuring means configured to determine picture coordinates of the visual feature (33, 33A, 33B); And
3D modeling means configured to determine position and orientation according to the geometric constraints given by the stereobasis 39 and the picture coordinates, in particular the determination of the spatial reference being at least 5 degrees of freedom. A graphics application system, characterized in that it is done. 3. The method of claim 2,
The sputtering device 9 comprises a first set of visual features 33, 33B in which the position and orientation of the sputtering device 9 is configured in a manner that is determinable by the spatial reference unit 30. and,
In particular the visual features 33, 33B are objects of known geometry attached to the sputtering device 9 from reference marks which are objects, in particular the first set of visual features 33B being A graphics application system, characterized in that it is actively emitting optical radiation. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
A second set of visual features 33, 33A is located on the target surface 3, in particular the visual features 33, 33A of known geometry attached to the target surface 3 as reference marks. Graphical application system, characterized in that the objects. 5. The method of claim 4,
The second visual features 33, 33A on the target surface are projected light marks projected from a position having a fixed position relative to the target surface 3, the position being the space A graphics application system, characterized in that it is dislodged from the reference unit (30). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The spattering device 9 is characterized in that it comprises an inertial measurement unit which is included in the position and orientation determination, in particular when the spatial reference unit 30 is a temporary failure due to an obstruction of the cameras field of view. system. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The surface sputtering device 9 is a further sensor for determining target surface 3 characteristics and environmental conditions, in particular sputtered and unsputtered regions, current sputtering thickness, current surface color. Means (6A), further sensor means (6A), wherein drying conditions of the sputtering material (2) are determined and included in the control of the ejection features; And / or
A distance meter for evaluating the distance between said nozzle means (1) and said target surface (3). 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The application system is particularly suitable for bodies of vehicles 26, such as automobiles or airplanes, in accordance with the desired sputtering data 6 in accordance with the non-flat, curved free form target surface. And (3), wherein said desired sputtering data (6) comprise a three-dimensional model of said target surface (3). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The surface sputtering device 9 comprises a positioning unit for positioning of the nozzle means 1 with respect to the body 40 of the sputtering device 9, in particular with at least two degrees of freedom, (40), characterized in that it comprises means which are temporarily fixed in its position with respect to the target surface (3). 10. The method of claim 9,
The body 40 is equipped with the visual features 33, 33B for the spatial reference unit 30, in particular the body 26 is connected to the target 3 by the spatial reference unit 30. Characterized in that the nozzle means 1 are referred to the body 40 by the positioning unit for direct / mediated reference of the nozzle means 1 to the target surface 3. Applicable system. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10,
The nozzle means 1 is equipped with the visual features 33, 33B for the spatial reference unit 30, in particular the nozzle means 1 being connected to the target 3 by the spatial reference unit 30. A graphics application system, characterized in that it is directly referenced). 8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7,
The surface sputtering device 9 is handheld and is configured by the spatial reference unit 30 in such a way as to achieve a uniquely identifiable spatial reference of the surface sputtering device 9. A graphics application system. As a graphic application method for sputtering a target surface according to desired sputtering data by the surface sputtering device 9,
In particular with respect to the target surface (3), determining the position and orientation of the sputtering device (9) to spatially refer to the surface sputtering device (9);
Reading a storage comprising a digital image or CAD-model comprising a desired pattern to be applied to the target surface (3) to capture a desired set of sputtering data (6);
Ejecting sputtering material (2) by at least one nozzle means (1) onto the target surface (3);
Controlling said ejection features of said nozzle means (1) by a nozzle control mechanism (4);
Calculating desired ejection characteristics for the nozzle control mechanism (4) according to the desired sputtering data (6) and the information communicated from the spatial reference; And
Sputtering said target surface (3) according to said desired sputtering data (6).
The referencing step is performed by a spatial reference unit 30 having at least two 2D cameras 31 in which a stereo basis 39 is arranged and positioned away from the sputtering apparatus 9,
And determine the position and orientation according to the images from the cameras by digital image processing. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The digital image processing may include identification of visual features (33, 33A, 33B) in the images;
Determination of picture coordinates of the visual feature (33, 33A, 33B) in the images; And
Determining the position and orientation according to the picture coordinates and geometric constraints;
In particular the position and orientation are determined with at least five degrees of freedom. On the basis of the spatial reference data of the nozzle means 1 relative to the target surface 3 in accordance with the desired sputtering data 6 by instructing the nozzle control mechanism 4 capable of adjusting the ejection characteristics of the nozzle means 1. Said at least one nozzle means (1) necessary for sputtering the target surface (3) by at least one layer of one or more sputtering materials (2) resulting in the sputtering of said target surface (3). A computer comprising program code stored on a machine-readable medium for calculating the desired ejection features and, in particular, executed on the handheld sputtering device 9 according to claim 1. Program product.

Images